NMSU softball splits doubleheader at MTSU
MURFREESBORO, TENN. – After rain pushed the series opener back 17 hours, NM State and Middle Tennessee scheduled two games on Saturday. Emily Dix was sensational once again in the opener, allowing just three runs in a complete-game shutout. The Aggies built momentum in game two, but fell short as three errors proved costly in a 4-3 loss. For the fourth time in their past eight games, the Crimson & White suffered a one-run defeat, ending the day at 13-10 in CUSA play and 28-22 overall.
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME ONE
After a gloomy Friday delayed the series opener a day, Saturday morning started off with a bang for NM State. Devin Elam extended her career-best hitting streak with an RBI single to get the Aggies on the board in the top of the first inning.
Neither team got much going for the next few innings, until MTSU threatened to score in the home half of the fifth. A leadoff single was followed up with a pair of walks to load the bases with just one out. Emily Dix drew a popup to left and forced a swinging strikeout to close the inning for her sixth punch-out of the game.
Dezianna Patmon took advantage of the momentum generated on Dix’s strikeout, doubling the Aggies’ lead. No. 22 took a 2-2 pitch to dead center field to put her side ahead 2-0. Patmon’s blast was her 12th of the season, ranking second on the team and driving in her 37th RBI.
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME TWO
With Jessica Carreon up to bat and facing a 1-1 count, the game was delayed after lightning was detected in the area. The Aggies had already plated one run in the inning on a Kristen Boyd sacrifice fly. A Savannah Bejarano walk was followed up with a stolen base to put Aggies on second and third base. At 2:11 PM local time, the at-bat began. Carreon recorded a hit at 2:49 PM, ending a 38-minute delay. The single to right field scored Riley Carley from third base, putting the visitors ahead 2-1.
In the bottom of the third inning, a two-out double tied the game at two runs apiece. After a scoreless top half of the fourth, the home side got back on the board, taking a 4-2 lead. Three straight errors started the inning, with a run coming across on each of the final two. Desirae Spearman had come in to relieve a starting Jaileen Mancha an inning prior. The freshman got out of the inning with no hits, holding the Blue Raiders to two runs, but the damage had been done.
A sixth-inning rally began with a Jayleen Burton double to left center, and was followed up just three pitches later with a Kayla Lunar single to right center. A pinch-hitting Kendra Levesque brought Burton home with a sacrifice fly to deep center field, drawing the Aggies within one. The road team failed to bring Lunar home, however, stranding her at second base one at-bat later.
Desirae Spearman kept the home half of the sixth inning uneventful, setting up a pivotal top of the seventh. The top of the order came up to bat, but the first two batters failed to reach. Dezianna Patmon reached on a four-pitch walk, but the game ended on a hard groundout up the middle.
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